Current

The situation in Karlsruhe

Local politics? Climate? Construction projects? Our independent faction of Free Voters and FOR Karlsruhe in the Karlsruhe Municipal Council discusses the topics of the month in front of the camera and on the microphone. We give a review of what was decided for Karlsruhe, an outlook on what is on the agenda, and discuss major issues such as stadium construction, state theater or social affairs.

How many trees were cut down in Karlsruhe?

The city council group the Free Voters and the Voters' Group FOR Karlsruhe has submitted a request to the Karlsruhe City Council to obtain information on tree cuttings and new plantings since the introduction of the climate adaptation strategy in 2013. Answering these...

Karlsruhe as a climate-friendly “sponge city”?

The city council group the Free Voters and the voter group "FÜR Karlsruhe" poses a question on the topic "Karlsruhe as a sponge city". Implementing the principle of a sponge city is an important step in making the city more climate resilient and reducing pressure on...

Better signage for Karlsruhe

The city council group Freie Wähler and Wählergruppe FÜR Karlsruhe (FW|FÜR Karlsruhe group) has submitted a motion to the Karlsruhe City Council calling for better signage for tourism in the city center. In cooperation with Karlsruhe Tourismus GmbH, a concept is to be...

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Municipal Council Info. Here you will regularly find informative articles and background reports on current topics from the Karlsruhe City Council. Get insights into our political work and learn more about our focus areas.

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Council Motions & Inquiries

As a group we can actively bring proposals and ideas for the city to the vote.
We have compiled our applications here. We can also create transparency,
By asking public questions that the municipality must answer.

Our group

Friedemann Kalmbach

Friedemann Kalmbach

Group leader

Since 2009 city councilor of the voter group FÜR Karlsruhe.

Juergen Wenzel

Juergen Wenzel

Deputy Group leader

City councilor for the Free Voters since 2009 and local councilor in Durlach since 2014.

Petra Lorenz

Petra Lorenz

Councilwoman

City Councilor for the Free Voters since 2019.

Our office

Micha Schlittenhardt

Micha Schlittenhardt

Group executive

Phone

0721 133 10 96

E-mail

Address

FW|FÜR Karlsruhe municipal group
Haus der Fraktionen
Lever road 21
76133 Karlsruhe

Questions and Answers

Who are the „Freie Wähler“ Karlsruhe?

The "Free Voters" of Karlsruhe are committed and technically qualified residents of Karlsruhe who form a political association and have competed as a joint list in the municipal elections in Karlsruhe since 2009. The Free Voters represent a realistic and serious policy that strives to be close to the citizens and keeps an eye on the real concerns of the population. The Free Voters in the Karlsruhe City Council are Petra Lorenz and Jürgen Wenzel.

Who are „FÜR Karlsruhe“?

"FÜR Karlsruhe" is a voters' association that has been striving for politics with a Christian heart since it was founded in 2008 and derives its actions from this. One strives for a balanced policy between ecology and economy, in which the focus is on people and the concerns of the citizens are taken into account. Since 2009, "FÜR Karlsruhe" has been represented on the municipal council by Friedemann Kalmbach, and in the meantime by former KSC soccer player Reinhold Yabo and Eduardo Mossuto, who was previously active with the Free Voters. After a reorientation of the content in 2019, the name was changed from "GfK - Together for Karlsruhe" to "FOR Karlsruhe" in order to avoid confusion with the GfK - Society for Consumer Research on the Internet.

How did the voter groups merge to a municipal council group?

In the 2019 Karlsruhe local elections, ten parties or voter associations ran for elections - all of them made it into the Karlsruhe municipal council. The “free voters” won two of the 48 seats in the municipal council, and “FÜR Karlsruhe” one. At least three seats are required to form a parliamentary group in the municipal council. The formation of a parliamentary group and the bundling of seats creates the opportunity to give the will of the voters weight with more votes - in addition, parliamentary groups can submit motions to the city and are not limited to simply asking questions. "Freie Wahler" and "FÜR Karlsruhe" already formed a counting community together with the FDP in the past legislative period, which means that our city councilors can be represented in more committees. Now the decision was made to work together as a parliamentary group in favor of a policy of a healthy center and closeness to the people. With the introduction of the new municipal council on July 23, 2019, the parliamentary group has three councillors.

Who represents the municipal council group?

Together, the parliamentary groups “Free Voters” and “FOR Karlsruhe” form the eighth parliamentary group in the Karlsruhe municipal council. The parliamentary group community is represented by three city councillors: parliamentary group leader Friedemann Kalmbach (FÜR Karlsruhe), deputy parliamentary group leader Jürgen Wenzel (free voters) and city councilor Petra Lorenz (free voters). Micha Schlittenhardt (FÜR Karlsruhe) acts as group excecutive.

What are the political positions of the municipal council group?

Both voter associations advocate balanced and serious politics that adequately represent the interests of the citizens. All parliamentary group members have the best in mind for Karlsruhe and want to tackle the upcoming tasks in the interests of the voters. There are joint efforts on highly topical issues such as citizen participation/inclusion of citizens in the design of the city, housing construction/housing shortage/lack of space, urban development/inner densification, security and cleanliness, and mobility.

In times of Corona, the parliamentary group focuses on the tumbling economy and the survival of companies. The livable city of Karlsruhe is exposed to a serious danger when livelihoods are threatened by the pandemic. The group is committed to new and creative ways to prevent a wave of insolvencies and to support entrepreneurs. In addition to the physical well-being of people, the parliamentary group initiates offers for the mental and social concerns of society, such as setting up a contact point for people who are lonely during the lockdown.

The parliamentary group is opting for a people- and business-friendly path to climate neutrality. A green transformation of cities, transport and the economy is welcomed, but it should happen at a pace that society and the economy can sustain. The parliamentary group does not see actions pro-environment in bans and restrictions on everyday life, but in efficient innovations such as the expansion of electromobility for cars or the use of synthetic fuels for economical transport. Restrictions on private transport in Karlsruhe must not be at the expense of the weak in society, but only in coordination with the voters and according to the possibilities that the city can offer. Citizens must not be burdened by ideological politics, but should be included in the ideas for a balanced ecology.

In all content and political ideas of the parliamentary group, the best should be done for the citizens of the city of Karlsruhe.